A lot of people flipped their shit over the MORTAL KOMBAT short that hit the net a few days ago. Frankly, I wasn’t one of them. Yes, it’s impressive (especially considering the details that are listed below) and good looking, but it’s not what I’d want in feature-length version. For me, MORTAL KOMBAT is dark fantasy, and Paul W.S. Anderson’s 1995 flick actually kinda got a lot right. It’s not meant to be “The Shield”.
Nevertheless, the majority of fanboys clapped thier hands together like Sherman Klump’s mother, and that kind of buzz is good for business, so don’t be surprised if an official announcement is made soon about the feature. In the meantime, Collider got to chat with director Kevin Tancharoen (FAME) and dig up some dirt on the making of the short. Some highlights:
Some highlights:
* They shot the short film over two days on two RED cameras
* Started in early April and it took 2 months to do the post production. Most people donated their time. The short was made for $7,500
* Knew if he was going to get a chance at a genre picture, he’d have to show he could do it on his own. This is a calling card for a chance at making the next Mortal Kombat feature film and it’s his vision for how he’d do it.
* No one at any studio knew he was doing the short
* Oren Uziel wrote the short. He’s currently listed on IMDb to write the next Mortal Kombat movie at Warner Bros.
* Says he wants to make a movie that balances the real world with the mysticism and the special powers. Compares it to the way Harry Potter exists in two worlds. As in there are two universes that coexist with each other.
* Confirms “fatalities” are definitely in his movie. He wants to put them in the tournament in an “organic way”
* Definitely would use “get over here” (the classic line from the game)
* Michael Jai White plays Jax Briggs in the short and he’d definitely be part of the feature.
* Says Scorpion is the bad guy and will stay a bad guy
* They only had 4 hours to shoot the big fight scene
I will admit that the idea of the “real” world and the “mystical” one coexisting is appealing in this context, but I still have to hold back some enthusiasm. There’s a lot that can go wrong with this approach, including unintentional hilarity – although of course that’s always a possibility when bringing a video game to the big screen.
Wonder if there will be any “babalities”…
To check out the full interview, head on over to Collider.
Jeri Ryan plays “Sonja Blade” in the short